This is from The Tassajara Bread Book, written at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in California. People will try to tell you that the only starters worth using are from the San Francisco area because there are certain microorganisms in the air there that give it a unique flavor. You can buy dried out starter on the Internet if that if important to you. I like making my own because if I get tired of it, I can let it go and make a new one any time.

This recipe uses yeast to get it 'started' instead of relying on stuff out of the air or fermenting organic matter (see below).

Sourdough Starter
1 tablespoon dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
2 1/2 cups flour

Combine in a non-metal bowl. Let it ferment for five days, stirring daily. It will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator (in a glass jar), although it is best to use it once a week (pancakes, breads). If a liquid rises to the top during storage, stir it back in. It is the consistency of thick mud.


To use the starter: the night before, combine starter with the following ingredients in a non-metal bowl. Return about 1 cup of the mixture to the refrigerator before adding any further ingredients.

1 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup warm water or milk
1 tablespoon sugar
There are a bunch of tips to using a sourdough starter, such as avoiding chlorinated water (so use milk), but this gives you the general idea.
Here is a starter using any sour food, e.g. two-day or older rice, cereal, coconut, fruit, vegetables, milk: Mix with 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and water as necessary to make it spongy. Let sit 3 to 4 days, stirring daily, until a distinctly sour smell arises. If it gets moldy throw it away.

I don't like the sound of this one, too garbage for me.

Earlier this summer I made a starter that was just milk and whole wheat flour and without the kick of yeast or the garbage, it was very slow going. The bread from it was very chewy with a thick crust. Mr. Troutbend claimed it was the best he'd ever had. I wouldn't serve it company because it was too much of a challenge to knaw through it. Making it was quite a process and I called it the Journey.